Awake My Soul
by ralynsevenfoldd
Summary: Her third foster home in two months, eleventh foster home over two years, it seems as time went by she had trouble fitting in. It was a life style she'd become accustomed to, living out of a suit case. StacyxOC, rating my possibly change as story develops.
1. Chapter 1

Hello fellow fanfictioners. This story has been a work in progress since 2008. I've recently found inspiration to re-do (for the umpteenth time) and add some finality to it. Since it's been so long that I've even logged into the site, I had to create a new account and pen name. The original story, Foster Girl, is still on the boards for those who care to read and compare. It's under my old pen name, Wasted Words. The story is more or less the same, only reworded and well written. Ha. So anyways, without further adieu, here's Awake My Soul, aka Foster Girl. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Sabree, Tyler, etc.

The Author


	2. Chapter 2

"Sabree, are you ready?"

She glanced at the door, ignoring the soft voice of the social worker to return her attention to the mirror in front of her. She ran a hand through lavender locks and bunched them at the top of her head, making it look like some exotic animal took up a home on her head. Her eyes met her reflection, one eye brown, the other an ocean blue, a genetic defect she was born with, as she prepared her make up for the day. Because of this defect, she often liked to refer to herself as a mutant. A quick swipe of liquid liner tapering out into a cat eye and red lipstick that well complimented her porcelain skin.

"Sabree?"

"Give me a minute,"

Her third foster home in two months, eleventh foster home over two years, it seems as time went by she had trouble fitting in. It was a life style she'd become accustomed to, living out of a suit case. Would this home be any different? She shook the thoughts out of her head. Who cares? She was content with her 'gypsy' life. She heard the door click open behind her and spun on her heel to face the intruder.

"Fuck. I said give me a fucking minute Paula, for Christ sake."

The social worker quickly shrugged off her remark and pulled her in for a warm hug.

"Jesus, Paula. Stop. Just stop." Paula persevered, awash in her delusion that after all these years Miss Sabree Thomas would finally find a loving home. With a warm sigh she broke the hug, keeping on hand placed on the girls' cheek. Her 'I'm so over this' look never faltered. Her crows' feet tightened as she grimaced and tugged at the hoop sunk in the teens left nostril.

"Why would you stick a dirty needle through that gorgeous nose of yours? You're face is so pre-"

"Because that's how piercings work, Paula. I like it, and I'm keeping it."

"I'm going to miss those snarky comments of yours," she smirked, picking up the plastic bag lying by her feet, "I brought you some new clothes. I figured new home, new clothes right?"

"Whatever, Paula. Can we just fucking go already?" Sabree snorted, watching the social worker pull out destroyed jean shorts, a cropped black top and a red flannel shirt; much different from the ripped jeans and black hoodie she usually donned.

"You know, you can pretend all you want but I know you hope this family works out as much as I do. I'm going to miss you, Sabe. You're one of my favorites here, ya know. Now get dressed, we're running late."

….

Venice was hot and miserable on this particular day. Clothes stuck to her body like Scotch tape despite the air conditioner running full blast.

Cher blaring softly from the speakers was the only sound filling the car. Small talk was never something Sabree excelled in. Every so often, she'd entertain overly enthusiastic Paula with 'mmmms' and 'yeps' but she'd spent the majority of the trip with her face smooshed against the passenger window.

All the houses looked eerily alike, from the picket fence down to every minute detail such as assorted flower beds and garden gnomes; a page from Better Home and Garden magazine. They were large and white and perfect- she'd never been taken in by a wealthy family before.

"Welcome home, Sabree. I met with this family month ago, they're absolutely lovely. They have a son your age. I think I'm leaving you in good hands." Sabree shifted her bag in her lap as she surveyed the house. Paula was already knocking at the door, she motioned for her to come up.

The house was festooned in streamers and balloons, a cliché yet crafty hand made welcome home banner hung in the entry way, a happy housewife and stern looking male standing right under it waiting to get the festivities under way.

"Paula, it's so nice to see you again sweetie! I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for this moment!" She clasped her hands over her heart as she turned to Sabree. She was beautiful, trying to fight the age of 36 and doing it oh so well. Her emerald eyes sparkled with delight and no look of judgment passed her face upon seeing the 16 year old. "Thank you so, so, so much for this wonderful gift," she breathed, encompassing Harlow into a hug.

"Oh, God. Please, no. Just n- oh okay. So this is happening I guess." The woman's hug continued and tightened despite her protest. Why was everyone so damn touchy feely today?

"We are so absolutely thrilled to meet you, sweetheart. I'm Ann and this is my husband, Joel." She motioned to a mustached, handsome (you know, for an old guy) gentleman standing next to her.

"This is our son, Tyler. Tyler, this is Sabree; the newest member of our family." She caught the black haired boy by his elbow as he tried to swagger past. He was tall, no more than 6'0, with emerald green eyes to match his mothers, brows furrowed into a smoldering, broody look. A young Joel, she imagined.

"Ann, this is Sabree. She's not much for introductions or small talk but she's pleased to be a part of your family. I should really be going, though. Sabree, can I speak to you one more time before I take my leave?"

They stood in the entry way of the door, silence filling the gap between them as Paula searched for the right words to say to Harlow. "Well, it's been a crazy ride, Sabe. They're good people, Sabree, and I think you could really benefit from being here. Give 'em a chance, yeah? Stay out of trouble? For me?"

Sabree rolled her eyes, "Iloveyou."

"What? You what me? I didn't quite catch that."

"God, Paula. You're so fucking needy. God….I love you. Thanks for everything, or whatever."

"Oh, sweetie. I love you too. It's been so great getting to know you, I'm can't express that enough. You deserve so much in life, Sabe, the absolute best. I've done all I can for you now though. Now it's up to you and I want you to let Ann and Joel and Tyler help you realize that. I'll be checking in soon and I only want to hear good things." Her grip loosened on the skinny girl, unwilling to return the hug.

….

With festivities and awkward introductions over, Sabree was finally allowed to settle in her room. It was gorgeous, as much as she hated to admit it. The walls were a soft lilac color, nearly matching her hair, and contained a king sized bed with a fluffy white and teal comforted, adorned with a million pillows, a walk in closet the size of a small bathroom with a vintage vanity pressed against the wall, and finally, a window with perfect roof top access. She dug through her bags to pull out a neatly rolled joint and made her way out of the window and perched herself on the slanted roof.

All of Venice was in front of her, looking the best she'd ever seen it. She'd been to 7 cities in California but not a damn one could compare to this sea-side beauty. She had a perfect view of the Pier, almost glowing underneath the unobstructed starlight.

So this was home. She couldn't help but let her mind wander, wondering of all the places she'd hang out, all the people she'd met, who Tyler's group of friends were and if they'd like her. Tyler didn't fit in with his clean cut parents, or this fancy neighborhood. He had a grungy, beach bum look about him. An act of rebellion, maybe? Perhaps he was tired of being this proper and pristine looking young man and took to the punky, skater/surfer vibe that consumed everyone of 'Dogtown'. She lit the joint between her lips.

_Home. _The word didn't wash away, and sounded foreign each time she said it.

"Are you going to spend all your time out here?" An unfamiliar voice broke her thoughts. Tyler climbed through the window, occupying the space next to her. "So that was an awesome dinner conversation. Sorry for my mom, she can be super overbearing at times. She's all about the 'I'm not only a parent but a friend' thing." Sabree only offered the joint to the dark haired boy. "But what's your real story? Why are you a foster girl?"

"_Harlow, honey, are you willing to share what happened with your dad? You don't have to answer if you don't want to, however Paula wanted you to be the one to tell us. We want to make you comfortable at your new home and part of that means being open and honest. We want you to come to be able to speak with us about, well anything, really but this should be our first discussion as a family."_

"_I'm the Devil's Spawn. I dug my way up through the flames of Hell. I'm special, Ann. I'm gifted."_

"I murdered someone because he wouldn't stop talking to me."

"You can drop the Billy badass routine anytime now. We're family now, bro. So seriously, what's the real story?"

"You really don't know anything?" Tyler shook his head, taking a slow hit from the joint and handing it back. "Seriously, dude, Paula didn't tell you jack shit?"

"Nah, dude. Like my mom said, she wanted you to tell us. Said you had a shit life but that's it. Pretty obvious, no one with a good past ends up in a foster home." He continued, oblivious of where her story was going.

"Truth? My old man tried to kill me. He's an abusive, low life, worthless, drunk waste of space. Cheated on my mom with the whore he's with now and tried beating her and my sister before she left."

"Woah. Sabree, I- I don't know what to say. That's insane. I'm sorry." He reached out to touch her shoulder, compassionate green eyes never leaving her. Suddenly overwhelmed by his gesture, she flinched, his hand just missing her.

"I don't _need _you to be sorry for me," She huffed, retreating back into her new room; her new room, in her new house, in her new life. She buried herself in the safety of the heavily pillowed bed, trying to forget Paula's words ringing in her head.

She didn't want to let anybody in.


End file.
